Do I have a virus?

[edong]

Occasionally (or maybe oftentimes) when I click a link on a website, it also opens up another tab of advertisement. Sometimes it's related to the current page I was on, sometimes it's entirely different. Of course I have to close that tab to see the link I originally wanted. Also, if I go to a website, I usually see in a separate box the products (scrolling) I browsed from the like of Amazon and Newegg. Following me and reminding me of my recent interest? AVG, Malwarebytes and Spybot came up with nothing. I'm thinking this is another way of the websites to earn more money. Cunning and annoying. Thanks.

[MOVIEGEEK]

It's called a popup, you can set your browser to block all of them. Just to be sure it isn't malware install SuperAntiSpyware:

http://www.superantispyware.com/download.html

[edong]

Thanks for the link. It found a couple of browser hijackers and tracking cookies.

BTW, I have seen popups that were , you know, popups. Meaning they just pop up separate from the webpage. I have not seen those kind of popups in a while perhaps its because my Firefox has its popup blocker on. But those popups that I just posted are new breed to me. Like I said, the first one opens a new tab in my browser. I have to unclick that intruding tab to see my intended link which opened another tab also.

The second one is actually inside a frame and ON the page like it's been a careful work of the web designer to put there as part of it. And it has scrolling products which I browsed recently. So popups evolved in a more annoying way? If I don't see them again, superantispyware may have solved the problem.

[pandy]

btw

http://www.freedrweb.com/cureit/?lng=en

no need to install this is portable scanner.

[Hoser Rob]

Try installing the adblock plus firefox plugin ... I find it can help with stuff like that.

Ads following you around aren't malware, it's quite normal on the web nowadays. Though I hate it too. You may want to check your firefox settings for managing cookies. Make sure you don't accept 3rd party cookies and that they're deleted when you close ff. Programs like superantispyware won't necessarily find stuff like that. It isn't malware per se.

Before I enter certain commercial sites, and facebook definitely, I'll enter private browsing and leave it when I exit the site. I don't have any problems with ads following me around.

You can't eliminate cookies totally. There are just too many normal things on the web they're needed for. But they can be managed.

[edong]

Thanks, Hoser Rob. Like I said this is cunning. It's like some websites have their agreements in placing ads on their pages. See below what Newegg does. The products that I viewed are scrolling. This I can forgive but the other one which opens a new tab in my browser then closes after 30 seconds of inactivity, is just annoying.